808 State are an electronic music group from Manchester, England, formed in 1988 and named after the Roland TR-808 drum machine. They are widely regarded as pioneers of acid house and are associated with the development of rave music. The group remains active, performing live, touring, playing DJ sets and releasing recordings.

Formation and early line-up

808 State are formed by Graham Massey, Martin Price and Gerald Simpson. Massey comes from the former Factory Records group Biting Tongues, while Price is known for running the Eastern Bloc record store and for founding the independent label Creed. Simpson later records as A Guy Called Gerald. The group’s members include Gerald Simpson, Martin Price, Graham Massey, Andrew Barker and Darren Partington.

Early releases and club success

Their debut release is Newbuild, issued in 1988. The album becomes influential for later electronic artists, with Autechre and Aphex Twin both citing it as a major influence. After Simpson leaves in 1989 to pursue his solo project A Guy Called Gerald, the remaining members bring in Andrew Barker and Darren Partington, known as the Spinmasters, and record the EP Quadrastate. Its track “Pacific” becomes a major club record.

Albums and collaborations

808 State follow with Ninety, which is well received within the growing rave scene. Their 1990 album The North At Its Heights is made with Manchester rapper MC Tunes, whose real name is Nicky Lockett. The album reaches number 26 in the UK and is also released in Europe and Japan. It produces the singles “The Only Rhyme That Bites” reaching number 10 in the UK, “Tunes Splits the Atom” reaching number 18, and “Primary Rhyming” reaching number 67.

The 1991 album Ex:El includes vocals from Bernard Sumner of New Order and Björk, formerly of the Sugarcubes. During this period, the group’s work is associated with the Hacienda club, where people are said to crawl through the air shafts to see them perform.

Later releases and work with other artists

Martin Price leaves in 1992 to focus on solo production and later forms his label Sun Text. The remaining members release Gorgeous, then carry out remix work for David Bowie, Soundgarden and other artists. They return with Don Solaris in 1996 and issue the compilation 808:88-98 in 1998. In 2011, ZTT releases Blueprint, a compilation containing re-recordings of some of their best-known tracks.

Key tracks and significance

Among their best-known recordings are “Pacific State”, “Cubik” and “In Yer Face”, which bring the group chart success in the early 1990s. “Olympic”, the flip side of “Cübik”, is remixed for Channel 4’s The Word.